Why get us to help book your safari?

You might be wondering what exactly we bring to the table when planning or booking your safari adventure, and whether our services will cost you extra money. We don’t charge any fees for helping plan or book your safari. Sometimes we might get a commission from the lodge or tour operator but no matter what we won’t charge you more than what you would pay if you booked directly. In some cases we may be able to secure even better rates due to our relationships. We may also be able to save you money in other ways – for example proposing a lodge that has a seasonal special or booking a cheaper (but just as good) transfer option.

 

The key reason we are doing this is because we are passionate about wildlife and Africa – and we want as many people as possible to experience the mind-blowing experience of a wildlife safari! We actually enjoy planning safaris – whether they are our own or someone else’s! Plus after spending cumulatively years in the African wilderness across nine African countries we are pretty good at it 🙂

So why choose Ready Set Safari to help book your wildlife safari?

Here’s a few more pointers why we think we’re the perfect people to help you with your wildlife safari:

 

1. First-hand experience and knowledge – after years spent travelling the African continent (including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) we know what we are doing. Van even worked as a professional guide for many years so he has intimate knowledge of the industry. Plus we typically only recommend places we have actually stayed or travelled to. Not all lodges or game reserves were created equal, and we know which ones are better. Unfortunately sites like TripAdvisor cannot give you that information as people tend to rate all game lodges and reserves highly if it is their first safari experience (having nothing to compare to). We will make sure you only stay at the best places that are guaranteed to give you the best safari experience. Larger travel agents will not have this depth of knowledge or experience.
2. We don’t rely on set itineraries, we create 100% tailored trips – many operators or travel agents rely on set, standard safari itineraries that force you to include destinations or activities that you may not want  (or that we frankly would not recommend). We will find out from you exactly what sort of experience you want, what wildlife you most want to see, what your budget is (and many other things) before tailoring the perfect safari itinerary designed for you. For example we might recommend different places if you were interested in photography compared to if you just wanted to see the “Big 5”. Or if you were desperate to see cheetahs, or wild dogs, or black rhinos. Or perhaps you want to experience camping and do some bush walks. Whatever your safari priorities are, we will tailor your trip to suit.
3. We understand your safety concerns – we completely understand that travelling to Africa can be daunting. We are here to make sure you will feel comfortable and secure for your entire trip. If that means flights directly to the door of your safari lodge, we can organise that for you! We only work with trusted operators in Africa so you won’t have to worry about a thing.
4. Trust and reliability – You can trust us. We are based in Australia, not in Africa. (this is not to say you cannot trust African operators). We will keep you updated at every turn and there will never be any obligation or coercion to book through us. We won’t ask for you to pay for anything until we have 100% agreed on your itinerary and confirm that it is booked. We are not a huge organisation and we are only helping a handful of people at any time so your safari trip will be a key priority for us right until you embark on the adventure (and indeed while you are over there). It is our hope you will become like a friend and we will even ask for updates and photos when you return!

5. 

   Convenience – we’ll take your needs and translate them into a full itinerary tailored for you. This will save you hours of research and enquiries! Plus we know the best places (…we know we already said that part…:)). We can be flexible with respect to payment too – we can accept PayPal, credit card or direct bank transfer. We can also accept payment in various currencies – AUD, USD, GBP or ZAR (though accepted payment methods may vary if not paying in AUD).

    

6. Ethical travel – we will not suggest activities that we believe to be unethical. This includes visiting lion parks (zoo-like parks where lions are hand-raised with constant human contact) or even visiting certain African tribe communities that continue to engage in harmful rituals like genital mutilation.
7. No extra cost to you – The key thing to remember is that our service is at no cost to you. Plus, we will always offer the most affordable option based on your requirements. While some agents or operators may try to get you to commit to more expensive options to get a higher commission, we will absolutely never do that. We do it for the love more so than the money so for us it’s about making sure you get the very best value for your money as well as the best possible safari experience, and we know the best places to ensure just that 🙂 Plus if you do see a similar itinerary or game lodge at a lower price, we will always try to match or beat it if possible (or at least make sure for your benefit that it isn’t a scam).

So what do you say? Get in touch today for some obligation-free advice, and take your first step to booking your own life-changing safari.

 

[cta id=”1627″ vid=”0″]

 

Client testimonials

“I am very glad that I got in touch with Cara from Ready Set Safari to organize my very first African safari adventure. From the get go she was very approachable, friendly and professional when consulted about the trip. I was really impressed by the list of detailed options that Cara provided to me on what I can do on my Safari and that made it easy for me to pick the right safari option. Cara very quickly understood what sort of a safari experience I was after and was able to chalk up a safari schedule  for me.  

Also, when I had any questions about the trip, Cara was always very willing and helpful to answer them and provide guidance. The turn around time was very quick, I did not have to really wait much to get responses for my questions. I would certainly not have any hesitation in recommending Cara to my friends, family & colleagues for helping in organizing a safari trip. 

Great effort from Ready Set Safari!!!! Keep up the good work. And yes I will be in touch with you guys to help me plan my next safari adventure. I am hoping it is sooner rather than later. Really loved the African bush.” – Anshuman, Melbourne Australia (January 2018)

“From beginning to end Cara and the Ready Set Safari crew were amazing at ensuring our South Africa trip was beyond our wildest dreams.  Everything was perfect, there were no hidden fees and  every detail was attended too.  Our accommodations were wonderful and we were paired with the perfect guide to make our trip even more memorable.   Highly recommend this team to anyone looking to have a wonderful and hassle free safari experience.” –
Kimberly, USA (May 2018)